Do I need a CAT Tool for marketing translation? Thread poster: Luke Hubbard (X)
|
|---|
Luke Hubbard (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:07
German to English
Hi,
I was wondering if it's worth investing in a CAT Tool if I will be doing marketing texts? As marketing texts are frequently adapted to suit the target audience and culture, would it be worth getting one? Part of me thinks I should as there may be times when I may do a translation for someone which aren't part of my specialisations. I'm just starting out so although I have my specialisations, I may have to accept some work to earn myself some money. I obviously won't be making th... See more Hi,
I was wondering if it's worth investing in a CAT Tool if I will be doing marketing texts? As marketing texts are frequently adapted to suit the target audience and culture, would it be worth getting one? Part of me thinks I should as there may be times when I may do a translation for someone which aren't part of my specialisations. I'm just starting out so although I have my specialisations, I may have to accept some work to earn myself some money. I obviously won't be making this regular.
For football texts, one person I've been in touch with, they said that the majority of their work is carried out on Google docs.
Any advice from marketing translators or anyone with the right knowledge is welcomed.
Thank you ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 07:07
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Agencies like using CAT formats. Heck, I like using CAT formats, simply because they don't mess with formatting the way word processors do.
| | | | Fiona Gonçalves
Portugal
Local time: 00:07
Member
Portuguese to English
+ ...
I translate quite a lot of marketing texts. I have found over the years that a lot of the time the texts can be very similar. Also, if you start doing regular work for the same company, you'll almost certainly find they re-hash and recycle a lot of their stuff. This means a CAT tool can be very useful indeed.
You don't need to spend a fortune on the latest cutting-edge version of the most expensive CAT tool, though. I have found that WordFast Pro, which I purchased some years ago through a... See more I translate quite a lot of marketing texts. I have found over the years that a lot of the time the texts can be very similar. Also, if you start doing regular work for the same company, you'll almost certainly find they re-hash and recycle a lot of their stuff. This means a CAT tool can be very useful indeed.
You don't need to spend a fortune on the latest cutting-edge version of the most expensive CAT tool, though. I have found that WordFast Pro, which I purchased some years ago through a ProZ group buy, has stood me in very good stead. I would recommend you try out some demo versions of the various tools out there, if you can, to help you find one that suits you, because they are not all the same. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 01:07
German to English
+ ...
As a longtime marketing specialist, my experience is that it (the demand for using CAT tool) varies from client to client, so it's best to be prepared to use one even if repetitions are often not considered particularly desirable in marketing texts. 100% matches tend to be fairly rare unless you work for larger companies that issue lots and lots of marketing materials on a regular basis. In that case I have found that the CAT tool is sometimes more useful in keeping terminology consistent rather... See more As a longtime marketing specialist, my experience is that it (the demand for using CAT tool) varies from client to client, so it's best to be prepared to use one even if repetitions are often not considered particularly desirable in marketing texts. 100% matches tend to be fairly rare unless you work for larger companies that issue lots and lots of marketing materials on a regular basis. In that case I have found that the CAT tool is sometimes more useful in keeping terminology consistent rather than for repetitions.
Though I do have clients that don't require the use of a CAT tool for marketing texts, I use one anyway to keep a record for myself. You never know when an especially expressive turn of phrase that occurred to you some time ago but might not quite remember might come in handy for another translation down the road.
Long story short: I recommend using a CAT tool for marketing whether the client requires it or not. At the very least owning one makes you more likely to get jobs instead of automatically missing out on those that do require them.
PS: In case you are looking for a recommendation, I really dislike Trados and love MemoQ. However, there are several newer ones I have no experience with that may work better for you. It's an entirely personal choice. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Daniel Frisano
Italy
Local time: 01:07
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
Those are two different questions:
1) Do I need...: you never really need a CAT tool. It may be useful to have one, but you can easily do without.
2) Is it worth investing...: in the long term, yes, if used wisely, critically and adaptively. However, it may become deleterious, especially in marketing, if used blindly and mechanically.
| | | | | Absolutely agree with Fiona Gonçalves | Jan 15, 2019 |
You don't need the most expensive CAT with lots of bells and whistles. I do in fact use a lot of the features of a big, relatively expensive CAT, but it takes time to learn how… I recommend finding one that suits the way you work, and learning to use the Concordance.
It is a feature that finds fractions of sentences, or single words in context, so you can highlight a word or a short string and get the CAT to find where you used it on earlier occasions, in context. This can be ve... See more You don't need the most expensive CAT with lots of bells and whistles. I do in fact use a lot of the features of a big, relatively expensive CAT, but it takes time to learn how… I recommend finding one that suits the way you work, and learning to use the Concordance.
It is a feature that finds fractions of sentences, or single words in context, so you can highlight a word or a short string and get the CAT to find where you used it on earlier occasions, in context. This can be very useful if you work for the same client over several jobs or even years. Some have a definite seasonal cycle, but many re-use and rehash the same old ideas.
I use my CAT and glossary to keep track of terminology and slogans, people in marketing departments and what they call themselves, all sorts of things. You may not get a lot of whole segments repeated, but the good CATS can find smaller phrases and details, and be a real help to consistency when you need it.
I have even used my CAT to rephrase and rearrange text to freshen it up and disguise the fact that they were going through the same procedure as last year, same procedure as EVERY year…
I too like my CAT for a lot of reasons, depending on the type of text. A decent CAT is versatile, and you can find ways of adapting it. Don't let different clients dictate a new CAT every week - the benefits are cumulative, and you need to feel really comfortable with it, so that you are not distracted by the 'mechanics' as you work. You will not be able to reach that point in just a couple of hours, but it is worth persevering IMHO. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 19:07
German to English
| CAT tools are generally useful to have | Jan 15, 2019 |
I tend to use a CAT tool for most of my work. Even for non-repetitive texts, a CAT tool can help to manage terminology or even identify catch phrases/buzz words that tend to appear in different texts. You would be surprised at how often phrases such as "competitive advantage," "unique selling proposition" and "customer value" appear in "creative" texts.
There may be translators who have regretted investing in a CAT tool, but they are a distinct minority.
| | | | Luke Hubbard (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:07
German to English
TOPIC STARTER | I think I'll be getting a CAT Tool | Jan 15, 2019 |
Thank you all for your advice. I'll certainly look into getting a CAT Tool then as they appear to be useful in translating marketing texts.
I think it'll definitely benefit me in case I get asked to anything other jobs and also for my other specialisation.
| | |
|
|
|
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| one is always at the expense of something else | Jan 15, 2019 |
One should tell benefits, gains, and drawbacks for (1) translators, for (2) clients, and (3) for mere mediators--agencies. While most CAT are relatively useful for batching repetitive technical manuals, they mechanically vivisect the text into chopped fragments (aka segments), disregarding the languages different rhythm, tempo, melody, length, and so on, make it even more unnatural. Of course, by-paragraph segmentation makes the translation more human at the cost of low fuzzy matches.
... See more One should tell benefits, gains, and drawbacks for (1) translators, for (2) clients, and (3) for mere mediators--agencies. While most CAT are relatively useful for batching repetitive technical manuals, they mechanically vivisect the text into chopped fragments (aka segments), disregarding the languages different rhythm, tempo, melody, length, and so on, make it even more unnatural. Of course, by-paragraph segmentation makes the translation more human at the cost of low fuzzy matches.
However, besides high prices, compatibility issues, and numerous software glitches, the main problem with CAT tools is most "bomb-happy" agencies (working from a position of strength) consider Trados/WF/MemoQ/DJV and others merely as a "even-more-fuzzy-discounts ready" hallmark. The remedy? A good specialist should also be a decent businessman, diversifying the income sources and following the own way. ▲ Collapse
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Do I need a CAT Tool for marketing translation? | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
